What do you think about the genealogy of Jesus?

[TIME's Person of the Year]

Why does the bible gives two different accounts of how Jesus is traced back to David thus completing that requirement to be the messiah? I find this weird since A: they both use Joseph as the decendent of David when he wasn't even Jesus's biological father and B: Jews use the mother for genealogy purposes. That's why if a Jew marries a non-Jew then their kids will only be Jewish if the mother is a Jew. So why do you think there are two different stories? I mean if both Matthew and Luke just made it up to give Jesus more credibility for being the messiah then you'd think they would have at least gotten their stories straight first, right?
jjambo2, that's not true. Both accounts go through Joseph.
Luke 3:23-31

David
Nathan
Mattatha
Menna
Melea
Eliakim
Jonam
Joseph
Judah
Simeon
Levi
Matthat
Jorim
Eliezer
Joshua
Er
Elmadam
Cosam
Addi
Melki
Neri
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Rhesa
Joanan
Joda
Josech
Semein
Mattathias
Maath
Naggae
Esli
Nahum
Amos
Mattathias
Joseph
Jannai
Melchi
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph
Jesus

Matt 1:7-16

David
Solomon
Rehoboam
Abijah
Asa
Jehoshaphat
Jehoram
-
-
-
Uzziah
Jotham
Ahaz
Hezekiah
Manasseh
Amon
Josiah
-
Jeconiah
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Abiud
Eliakim
Azor
Zadok
Achim
Eliud
Eleazar
Matthan
Jacob
Joseph
Jesus
craig b, read above. If anything Matthew tells from the mother seeing as how it says "Jacob, and Joseph, who married Mary, the mother of Jesus." Whereas Luke clearly states son of Joseph. And I don't consider Luke or Matt to be God, but maybe you do.

[Stormchaser]

You also see Women mentioned in Joseph's heritage Ruth was Married to Boaz and Rahab of the Davidic line, demonstrating the fallen nature of man, proving Good can come from a Messed up lineage! Solomon, David's father was no prize. They were proving the Earthly Royalty and heritage. Mary shows the supernatural occurance Through a virgin birth Genesis 3:15 and a Promise made by God.

Joseph is given 1st as head of the Earthly household and for those around them. Joseph was the Caretaker of the Messiah and had to be of the Davidic Lineage. Mary too was decended for the House of David. It was given to the Jewish Phariseees and Scribes as family heritage and was also Recorded by the Roman government, In a Census under Julius Ceasar, around 2 BC. The penalty was death for inaccuracies. .

As Prophetical evidence and fulfillment of The Old Testament Isaiah 9:6-7 , Micah 5:2 to be born in the town of Bethlehem. It is also found in Genesis 3:15 as Redeemer from the Davidic family..

[craig b]

One - whenever names are listed in Scripture, they are there for historical reference. They offer us proof, when those records are revealed from archaeological digs, that indeed, the Word of God is unerring.
Two - the two accounts are listed in reverse order to again, offer us differing perspective on the truth of this lineage.
Three - Matthew and Luke offer us that lineage from both sides of the parental line. Matthew shows us the royal line passed down through the male perspective whereas Luke, offers us Jesus' physical descent through the female perspective.
Know that when God wants us to really know something of importance, He tells us more than once.

[witness]

It's weird, yes. But there is an answer.

Go to Ephesians chapter 1 and it explains that we are Gods children (believers, not everyone) through adoption.
He has adopted us and we now take on His spiritual traits.

During the Patriarchal period, if the oldest son was adopted, he would still gain all rights to inheritance, throne, or whatever else a first son was entitled to.

In Lukes account, 3:23 makes it clear that Joseph is not His real Father. Luke also includes no women in his account of lineage.

Numbers 27:1 -31:1 explains the adoption order.

[thundercatt9]

Matthew tries to convince the Jews that Jesus Christ was the royal son of David. As Matthew continues to follow the line from David to Christ, Matthew traces the lineage through Jesus' earthly father, Joseph. During first century times, if a Jewish man adopted a son, that son receives the father's lineage. Therefore, according to Jewish tradition, Jesus would be given the genealogy of his adopted father.

Luke's gospel was written primarily for the Greeks or Gentiles. being written for the Greeks, would not be as interested in the royal lineage of Christ, rather his true earthly lineage. In Luke's account of the genealogy of Christ, he traces Christ's ancestry through his mother, Mary.